Designer Skyline
by sarcastic fantastic
Summary: Ariel promised herself one thing; her silence. When you're silent, you don't draw attention to yourself. When you're silent, you can't cause problems for other people. Yeah, its a sister fic. Whatevs. It doesnt suck that bad. PRE-Film
1. Quiet

**Hey, everyone! So this is my first Four Brothers fic, and I really hope it doesn't suck xD I don't really know how people feel about sister fics in this category, but I'm gonna try and not make it shitty, just for the sake of people pissin and moanin about it. Either way, I'm gonna try and make the main character so anti mary sue, unlike a lot of the other 'sisters' in these fics. And dont automatically assume that its gonna turn into romance one or whatever. JUST CHILL FOR A FEW CHAPTERS.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Four Brothers, or BOBBY no less, do you think I'd be on here?! Nah, I don't.**

Silence. Silence was the only thing she didn't fear. Silence didn't hurt her. Silence didn't betray her, or steal her innocence. When things were silent, things were almost okay. Almost. But when the silence was interrupted, chaos resumed its focal point in the child's life and everything was not so okay anymore.

When her dad went to jail for the first time, there was a little bit of hope that her life would get better; maybe her mom would smile for once and maybe her older brother would want to be home more. But a little thing called bail ruined everything all over again.

One day, she decided to break the silence. She told a teacher; that teacher told a social worker; that social worker told a cop; that cop told her parents they were under arrest. And her parents told her that they hated her. They accused an eight year old of ruining their lives.

She ruined her parent's lives, she thought. She was capable of doing something so horrible. See what happens when you talk? When you bring attention to yourself? Bad things happen.

She was told that she would never have to see her parents again. There was a part of her that was happy. But there was another part of her that was so consumed by guilt that she felt that if she kept silent, she wouldn't ruin anyone else's life. Hopefully not even her own.

"She isn't really a talker," a woman with a sweet demeanor named Evelyn told her four boys in the quaint living room. The boys were all seated according to age, Bobby at one end, Jerry next to him, and Angel between Jerry and the youngest one, Jack. There was a prominent age difference between Jack and the other three boys; he just about the age of the girl and the others into their teen years.

Jerry was the first to speak up. "What's her name?" he asked with slight optimism in his voice.

"Her name is Ariel, Jerry." Se said nodding. Ariel stood halfway behind Evelyn with her tattered teddy bear in hand, the caramel ringlets of her hair stood large from her head and bounced with every tiny movement.

"How long is she supposed to be with us?" Bobby asked tilting his head.

"As long as she needs to. Her parents were in lot of trouble, so there's no telling. But we're gonna treat her like family regardless, right boys?"

They all nodded simultaneously.

"Well, I'm going to get dinner ready. Be nice to her." She said looking in directly in Bobby's direction as to emphasize the 'nice' part.

"I will, I promise!" he instantly said in his defense. She narrowed her eyes at him as she walked out of the living room and to the kitchen.

It was silent for a few minutes in the room before Bobby spoke up.

"You really don't talk, do you?" he scoffed.

Ariel did not justify herself with an answer. She simply stood before her foster brothers with her head bent, and legs crossed.

"Maybe she's retarded?" Angel whispered to Jerry. His brother slapped him in the arm.

"Don't say shit like that, Angel." Jerry said, cautious of the younger girl.

"Don't hit me!" Angel said retaliated by punching his older brother, and pretty soon Bobby jumped in and all three boys were wrestling each other. Jack moved off the sofa as to not get entangled himself.

"Boys! I leave you for one minute!" Evelyn said marching back into the living room. They stopped fighting with each other as soon as they heard their mother's voice. They ended up working themselves into a heaving, sweaty mess.

"In your rooms, now." She said calmly. Angel, Jerry, and Bobby stood without even putting up a fight about it; they knew they were at fault. But curses and insults toward one another could be heard as they marched up the stairs and until three doors were slammed.

Evelyn knelt down to Ariel placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said sweetly, "Things aren't that bad here. We'll treat you better than you were before."

Ariel nodded, raising her head slightly. She exposed a tiny hint of a smile to a woman she met only a few hours earlier. It was something she scarcely gave anyone. Evelyn knew it was something that wouldn't be given away easily.

"Jack," she said standing. "Can you show her to her room?"

The blond boy nodded. "Yes Ma." He said as his mother exited the room once again. "C'mon, Ariel. Follow me, I'll show you."

She followed him, at a distance, up the stairs down the hallway of the second floor. Finally he stopped at a door at the end of the hall.

"This is your room." He said turning back to her. Jack pushed the door open and watched as Ariel hesitantly walked inside.

"It was plain; a bed, a dresser, and a desk. Her duffle bag with her few belongings were already next to the bed. A single sigh escaped her tiny lips as she placed her teddy on the pillow of the bed.

"For the record," Jack said before leaving. "I don't think you're a retard."

**SO YEAH. Review this beast. Tell me what you think. DOES IT SUCH CARTMAN BALLZ? Tell me. I wanna know how to fix all the little nooks and crannies.**


	2. Birthday

**OKAY. So here's chapter two. I got some posative response from the last chapter, so I'm hoping this one is just as good. Continue to read and review! And add to your alerts too _**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

Her first days with the Mercer's were a little less than awkward. Ariel was nothing like the other boys. Besides her unspoken vow of silence, there was nothing that would compare her to the other four. They were an unruly bunch, and often times violent, which didn't appeal to the young girl in any sort.

It took a while for the boys to adjust to Ariel living with them. Jack was the most cautious; watching what he said to her and making sure that his questions didn't need an extended response. Jerry was the most patient; he treated her like they were blood related, taking her to the store with him, reading to her. Angel was the least patient with the girl. He would often get frustrated with her inability to communicate and would snap at her from time to time. Bobby was indifferent. He didn't spend extra time with her when he didn't need to, but still made her feel welcome all the same.

Days turned into weeks; weeks turned into months, and pretty soon, Ariel was coming upon one year with the Mercers. She had gotten used to being with them. She was used to the way things were done with the single woman and her adopted sons. But she was still cautious around them. It was like she felt that she would wake up and see her father and mother.

There was not a grand physical change in Ariel. Her caramel skin still held the freckles over her cheeks and arms as they did since she could remember. Her billows of hair still provided enough space for Jack to launch pencils in her hair as a joke. The funny part was when he was stealthy enough about it and she didn't even notice they were there. Of course the others thought was funny, and Ariel herself couldn't help but find the humor.

The month of February meant two things; Valentine's Day and Ariel's birthday. Both just so happened to be one the same day. Before, it was just another day; overlooked and ignored. Why would Ariel expect anything different this year? It seemed that she forgot about it all together.

She walked next to Jack along the road after school. The two third graders kicked the snow as they walked.

"Did you like music class?" he asked her pulling his beanie tighter around his ears. Ariel shrugged. Music, like many things was not her strong point. Not to mention the teacher always fails to realize that Ariel isn't deaf and doesn't need to play extra loud or put her on the triangle for every song.

"I really liked it," he continued. "Especially the guitar. I've been practicing a lot and Mr. Warner said that if I practice enough, I could be the next Jimi Hendrix. Do you know who that is?"

She shook her head in understanding. Ariel remembered her brother Jude singing his songs sometimes. Though that was so long ago, it could be someone else she was thinking about.

"I might be better. Do you think I could be?"

Yes, she nodded again. And she meant it. There were countless nights where jack would be struggling with a simple tune. But his determination made him better regardless of how much his brothers teased him about the "noise" he was making. Every night he would get better and the "noise" became Ariel's lullaby in which she fell asleep.

"Surprise!" was the first thing she heard when she and Jack made their way into the living room.

There, Angel, Bobby, Jerry and Evelyn stood behind a cake and balloons surrounded them. Each of the boys held a present out, smiling genuinely. Ariel grinned excitedly running up to the boys, dropping her backpack by the entrance.

"Happy birthday, darling." Evelyn cooed to her newly adopted daughter. "Let's open presents."

Joy and happiness filled her to brim when se saw the presents in each of her brother's hands. Even Jack picked up a box from behind the sofa. "This one's from me and Jerry." Angel said handing her a smaller box.

Ariel pulled the wrappings off of it, and the top as well. A series of mixed tapes lay at the bottom of it. Jerry handed her another box. This one contained a walkman for the tapes. She set them both to the cake and flung her arms around the older boys; her way of showing her gratitude.

Jack handed her a thinner box, but larger in width. With the top pulled off the top, two silk ballet slippers fell into Ariel's hands. The laces hung down by her waist.

"I saw that you were watching some ballet on the TV the other day, and I thought that if you ever wanted to do it, you'd be prepared." Jack said not really sure if she would like his gift or not. Really, Ariel was more surprised that someone had paid that close attention to her. She smiled sweetly giving him a hug as well.

"Jackie knows that he really bought those for himself." Bobby cut in with a laugh. Evelyn shot him a look, and his expression change. "Come 'ere kid." He motioned for Ariel to join him next to his place on the couch. She sat next to him cautiously unsure of what to expect of the hothead.

"Alright Smalls," he said handing her a box the size of Jack's. "Open."

Carefully she pulled the decorative wrappings from the box. Ariel the pulled a jersey from its folder forms. **MERCER** was sewn on the back of it. "That was my very first jersey, and I want you to have it."

His half grin warmed her as he slung an arm over her shoulder. "Hope you like it, kid."

Of course she liked it! She loved it. It was something that obviously meant something significant to him. Maybe she wasn't a complete waste or space to him like she always thought? Looking over the presents from the boys, tears threatened to escape her eyes. Even if she were speaking, Ariel was at a loss for words.


	3. Brothers

**Okay people. I know you people are reading this. I NEED YOU TO REVIEW. Even if you hated it! I don't really care. I hope you like this one. Hopefully this one will give you more insight into Ariel's past _**

Have you ever stopped and thought about how nice your life was? Thought about how nothing can go wrong? And then you think to yourself, _Wait. This isn't right. Life can't be this good _ALL _the time. Something has to go wrong at some point._ You spend all this time focusing on how things are too good to be true to realize that things are good just because. Such is the case with Ariel. She was only 14 years old when she saw her brother Jude again. It was something unexpected. Something that took her and the entire Mercer's off guard.

"You did great tonight." Bobby said up to Ariel who he was carrying on his back. "Too bad Angel didn't bother staying awake to pay attention."

"I was not asleep," 17 year old Angel contradicted. "I was picturing it all with my eyes closed."

"You're such a dumb ass." Bobby mumbled under his breath. Ariel shook her head. She and her brothers had just returned from her ballet recital. As it turned out, Jack's birthday present came in handy after all. Evelyn signed her daughter up for lessons a week after her birthday. Through dancing, Ariel had found her niche. It was something she was actually really good at. It was something she knew that she was doing right, unlike other things in her life.

Bobby was well into his twenties and living his own life. But he was always there for Ariel's recitals. It grew to be a habit, as well as for the others. Jerry had attended as well; he took his girlfriend.

As the Mercer clan approached the front steps of their home, Ariel was the first one to notice the body sitting by the front door. She tapped Bobby's shoulder and pointed.

"Hey, who are you?" he said kicking the person's foot. The body jerked a little, looking up at the people standing above him.

"Sorry, sorry." He said standing. "This must look really bad, me just sitting by your house." The hood of the young man's hoodie was pulled down and a familiar face was exposed.

"My name's Jude." He said sticking his hand out in Bobby's direction. He shook it a little hesitantly. Ariel's eyes widened when she heard the name of her birth brother. She slid down from Bobby's back and pushed her way into the house. Her running up the steps could be heard.

"Wait." Jude said, "Was that my sister?"

"No," Jack cut in. "That's our sister."

"What do you mean, _your _sister?" Bobby asked pulling his eyebrows together. His arms were folded across his chest, and his tone suggested irritation and angered confusion.

"They put her in the system after our parents were arrested. I was staying with some friends at the time. They never told me where she went. I guess she ended up here." Jude said calmly. Like everything was as simple as he mad it sound.

"And you've decided to show up now, of all times. Where the fuck was you when she was an eight year old too traumatized to talk?" Jerry added. "Get the fuck out of here. She doesn't need you."

With that, they left Jude standing on the door step.

"Well it's not like I did that shit to her." Jude said as the door was being slammed in his face. "I just wanted to see my sister, again."

This time Bobby was not so calm, when he stormed outside. "Listen up ass hole." He snapped gripping his collar and slamming Jude into the wall next to the door. "I don't give a fuck what you're here for. You weren't here for her six years ago or any other day after that. And I don't know, maybe I'm just taking a shot in the dark here, but maybe you abandoning her has something to do with her being a mute."

"I didn't know she wasn't talking." Jude mumbled. He dropped his head, unable to look the man in the eye. "I know I made a mistake, leaving her alone like that all the time. But things weren't easy for me either. I was just 13 years old. What'd you expect me to do?"

Bobby let go of his shirt. "I expected you to look after her. Like an older brother is supposed to. But no. You fed her to the wolves. Too late for redemption, Jude."

Ariel did not come out of her room the next morning. Or at all in the afternoon. She was still in her leotard and ballet slippers. She was so good at forgetting her childhood. But Jude's resurfacing brought back everything she desperately wanted to escape. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw her father's cruelty in his eyes; her mother turning her back; felt his hand roaming further and further up her legs; heard her brother running out of the house.

She hadn't cried once in 6 years, but this time she wept. Long over-due screams ripped through her throat. Her hands flew to her head as the fingers pulled at the curls.

Jack was the first at her room. He knocked on the door and opened it slightly, just enough to peek his head through. "Ariel?" he said looking at his sister's crouched form on the ground. Her knees were pulled tightly to her chest.

He spared no time asking questions as he came to her side. His large arms pulled Ariel to him as she wept into his chest.

"You're alright, now." Jack whispered. "No one's gonna hurt you."


	4. Author's Note

**Hmm. Okay so I know all you folks are all like, "OHNOES. WHERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!?" Ha-ha, probably not. But still. Anyway, I'm not going to lie to you and give you this sappy story about how my dog died or my arms are broken or whatever, and that's the reason I haven't updated in like forever.**

**Truth be told, I've been super busy. AND writers block has been kicking my ass two ways from Sunday lol. But just so you know, I have been thinking of the story, and what to add next. I have 4 more chapters planned out. And it's going to be epic. When I get around to writing them I hope that you'll love them. Here's a sneak peek:**

**LOVE**

**DEATH**

**GOODBYE**

**SPEAK (Epilogue)**

**If there's anything you'd like to see in the story, ideas or whatever that could possibly break my writers block I WOULD BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL**.


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